No. 123.] ORNITHOLOGY. 101 



beneficial birds of New England, a persistent enemy of borers, 

 bark beetles, codling moths and other destructive tree pests; 

 and the Sapsucker, which may be more or less destructive in 

 the northern forests, apparently does little harm to orchards 

 in Massachusetts. 



The Heath Hen. 

 In April an attempt was made to take a census of the Heath 

 Hen on Marthas Vineyard, but, owing to inclement weather 

 during the only time when a visit to the island could be made, 

 it was impossible to get a reliable census or even a close esti- 

 mate of the numbers. Nevertheless, information acquired then 

 and since indicates that under the present management of the 

 reservation the birds are increasing. A more definite report 

 probably can be made next year. There are now no birds of 

 this species anywhere on the mainland, as all that have been 

 distributed there have died; therefore, the saving of the 

 species depends on the success of the colony on Marthas 

 Vineyard. 



Exhibitions. 



In September the Division prepared an exhibit for the 

 Eastern States Exposition at Springfield, which was visited by 

 more than 100,000 people. A prominent part of the exhibit 

 was a case showing the different forms of the gypsy m,pth and 

 the birds that destroy the pest. On children's day the booth 

 was largely given up to an exhibit of living birds from the 

 Bird Hospital, the unique undertaking of Miss Mary C. Co- 

 burn of Seven Acres School, Springfield. About 18,000 people 

 saw this exhibit on that day. Below is a brief report of the 

 hospital for the j^ear : — 



The Bird Hospital. 



During the past year more than a hundred of our common birds have 

 been or are at present inmates of our hospital. All the patients are in- 

 teresting, but especially so are the Black-crowned Night Heron (victim of 

 a steel trap), the European Goldfinch (bhnded by illicit game poachers), 

 an Albino Red-eyed Vireo, a normal Red-eye with dust shot in back of 

 head, a Baltimore Oriole, a Catbird, Barn Swallows, and a prize-winning 

 Pigeon with shorn wings. 



We found the English Sparrows to be suffering from a kind of lockjaw, 



